ISSUE 24/2015, 19 JUNE 2015
ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
CANADA 2015 NADINE ANGERER’S TWIST OF FATE BLATTER FIFA IS NOT A “MEN-ONLY CLUB” GHANA ABEDI PELE’S SUCCESSFUL SONS
U-20 WORLD CUP IN NEW ZEALAND
NEW STARS W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
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D enmark Having finally turned their dreams of a first league title into reality, many at Midtjylland are now predicting a bright future for the Danish club.
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S epp Blatter “The President of the German Football Association, Wolfgang Niersbach, has put forward a motion I support,” says the FIFA President. “Only together can we continue to drive the process of reform forward. That is something I will stand for until my final day in office.”
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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com
Big dreams The FIFA U-20 World Cup once kickstarted the careers of players such as Diego Maradona, Luis Figo and Arjen Robben. The latest crop of talented youngsters are currently under the spotlight at this summer’s tournament in New Zealand. Sarah Steiner reports on these budding future stars of world football.
South America 10 members www.conmebol.com
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Canada 2015 Maren Mjelde reflects on her remarkable free-kick goal.
N adine Angerer Germany's goalkeeper was once a top handball player before letting fate decide that her future lay with football.
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USA Kaka scored as Orlando City beat league leaders DC United 1-0 in 33-degree heat.
New stars Our cover image was taken in Auckland on 10 June 2015. It shows Senegal goalkeeper Ibrahima Sy celebrating after saving a penalty against Ukraine.
The FIFA Weekly app FIFA’s magazine The FIFA Weekly is published in four languages every Friday and is also available free of charge on smartphone and tablet. http://www.fifa.com/mobile 2
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FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
FIFA U-17 World Cup
9 – 19 July 2015, Portugal
17 October – 8 November 2015, Chile
imago (3), Getty Images (1)
Alex Livesey
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
Europe 54 members www.uefa.com
Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com
Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com
Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com
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Beach Soccer World Cup Switzerland's Angelo Schirinzi is dreaming of a final against hosts Portugal.
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Abedi Pele The Ghanaian explains why all three of his sons have become talented footballers.
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Every dream needs a kick-off. Inspire her passion. Use your Visa Card to purchase tickets to the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.
UNCOVERED
On the home straight G
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
enerally speaking, a great deal is going on in the mind of a young person between the ages of 15 and 20. It is the stage in life when you bid farewell to your childhood. Stress lurks everywhere – at school, at home with parents, in relationships – so it makes sense that teenagers should go looking for fun from time to time, even if that sometimes means staying up all night. When talented young footballers party the night away, it triggers a whole new layer of stress. They are threatened with predictions that their flourishing careers might now go down the drain. This happened recently in Germany and demonstrates that the path to becoming a seasoned professional is a precariously narrow one. Anyone who feels they can navigate it must leave everything else behind before they can complete the journey. The FIFA U-20 World Cup comes to an end in New Zealand this week. The name speaks for itself, and great footballers such as Diego Maradona once kicked off their careers in the competition. In her report beginning on page six, Sarah Steiner focuses on five young internationals with the potential to become world-class. At 18 and 19 years old, they now find themselves, as the saying goes, ‘on the home straight’. Å Alan Schweingruber
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BIG DREAMS
21 IBRAHIMA SY
Mr. Reliable Ibrahima Sy provides a safe pair of hands at the back for Senegal. 6
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Michael Bradley / AFP
Date of birth 13 August 1995 Birthplace Dakar, Senegal Height 1.89 m Position Goalkeeper Current club Lorient National team Senegal U-20
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GEDION ZELALEM
Date of birth 26 January 1997 Birthplace Berlin, Germany Height 1.80 m Position Midfielder Current club Arsenal National team USA U-20
Action Plus / imago
Impressive dribbler Gedion Zelalem tore into the New Zealand defence during the group phase.
The U-20 World Cup provides a stage for gifted youngsters to showcase their ability at international level. Sarah Steiner reports on a selection of the best who have dazzled the football world with their talents in New Zealand in recent days.
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total of 504 players from 24 countries arrived in New Zealand eager to demonstrate their ability to perform on the international scene. The prize on offer is none other than the most important trophy of their fledgling careers: the U-20 World Cup. Playing under the tournament motto of “This Is the One!” the youngsters have taken the seven host cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Whangarei and Wellington by storm. New stars have been born, and some are on the cusp of becoming global household names. One such player is Senegal goalkeeper Ibrahima Sy, who kept his side in the tournament with a number of outT H E F I FA W E E K LY
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standing saves. He was impressive enough in the group phase, but really came into his own against Ukraine in the Round of 16, saving three penalties in the shoot-out to emerge as the Man of the Match. “I’ve got a gift when it comes to penalties,” the 19-year-old said afterwards. “I can’t explain it, it’s just something I can do.” That talent had lain dormant for a long time as Sy took his first steps in the game as a striker. It was only much later at a youth tournament that he donned a pair of goalkeeper’s gloves for the first time. “Out keeper couldn’t play that day,” he recalled. “Besides, I’d watched Fabien Barthez play for Manchester United the night before and that inspired me. You can still see my ability as an outfield player though, as I like to come out of my area a lot.” French Ligue 1 club FC Lorient certainly liked what they saw and signed the custodian last summer, handing him his first professional contract in March 2015. He was forced to be patient in the national set-up though, and was only third-choice goalkeeper under coach Joseph Koto for a long time. Yet while his two rivals between the posts were unable to make the most of their opportunity, Sy made no mistake when Koto offered him a chance. “It gives you a special kind of motivation to play in goal for Senegal,” he said. “I’m proud of that. I’m a true Senegalese, I’m a fighter. I give everything for my people.” Koto described him thus: “He gives the team security. It’s very important for a side to have a keeper like that at the back.”
Ibrahima Sy’s talent lay dormant for a long time. A German-American wunderkind Gedion Zelalem is another young man who appears to be on the right track. Born in Berlin to Ethiopian immigrant parents, he played for Germany at U-17 level, but the midfielder also lived in the USA for six years before joining the Arsenal youth academy. In December 2014 he received American citizenship and authorisation from FIFA to play for the USA, and now he is the brightest star in the Stars and Stripes’ U-20 ensemble. English newspaper The Guardian wrote of
Myanmar capture fans’ hearts
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yanmar’s FIFA U-20 World Cup journey is one of those stories only football can write. To the surprise of many, this Southeast Asian country were among the 24 teams vying for honours at this year’s competition. A 1-0 win against the United Arab Emirates ensured the underdogs reached the semi-finals of the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship and secured their tickets to the World Cup finals in New Zealand. “We did what nobody expected,” coach Gerd Zeise said after his team’s exploits, still hardly believing it himself. Sadly, their dream of achieving something even greater came to an end after the group stage. Although Myanmar lost 2-1 to the USA, 6-0 to Ukraine and 5-1 against their Kiwi hosts, their sense of disappointment peaked after defeat at the hands of their Eastern European group rivals. After that match, Zeise said bluntly: “We only had the energy for one match. We’re too naïve and don’t have the necessary experience, that much is very clear. That was a disaster,” he continued. “This tournament came too soon for us. We can’t keep up with these teams; we’ve got no chance. My side were too weak.” The German shouldered the blame completely, apologising to the fans and claiming full responsibility for the “catastrophe”, but also acknowledged that “you can’t turn a cyclist into a Ferrari driver overnight.” Technique, stability and thermal under wear Myanmar’s talented youngsters can nonetheless be more than proud of what they have achieved after pushing themselves to the limit to prepare for the tournament in New Zealand. Daily training sessions enabled Zeise to work on every last detail to ensure that his players knew exactly what was expected of them, both in attack and defence, and to get the best out of their dynamism and technical ability. The sports teacher and football coach also worked hard on his team’s core strength, explaining: “They need that to ensure that they’re not just brushed aside in one-on-one situations.”
The U-20 World Cup is the second best men’s football tournament on the planet. The top national teams at U-20 level have jostled for supremacy every two years since 1977, and for players such as Diego Maradona, Bebeto and Paul Pogba, the competition served as a springboard to greatness. We take a look at a selection of famous past participants.
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DIEGO MARADONA (ARG) 1979 – JAPAN Maradona captained the team, scored six goals and lifted the title with the ‘Albiceleste’. He was also named as the tournament’s best player.
BEBETO (BRA) 1983 – MEXICO 110,000 spectators watched the final between Brazil and Argentina. It was Bebeto’s first international triumph and the start of a glittering career.
LUIS FIGO (POR) 1991 – PORTUGAL After lifting the U-16 European Championship in 1989, Figo won the U-20 World Cup two years later. He scored a penalty in the shoot-out in the final.
Mark Leech, Bob Thomas (2), Getty Images (3)
U-20 WORLD CUPS: FROM PROMISING TALENTS TO GLOBAL STARS
U20 WORLD CUP
The squad were optimally prepared for New Zealand on more than just a technical level. Zeise addressed the wintry climate in Oceania by buying thermal underwear and a warming salve for his players to use during their stay. The team also acclimatised for the tournament by visiting Europe earlier this year – even taking the time to try ice skating in Germany. “I’d never seen snow or ice before; I’d only seen it on TV,” said midfielder Yan Naing Oo. Despite all these considerations, time and patience remain the keys to success for Myanmar. “The sledgehammer approach doesn’t work at all here,” Zeise said unequivocally. It was a tip-off from a friend and fellow coach that originally brought the German to this corner of Southeast Asia after previous stints spent coaching in Japan, Korea Republic, China PR, Vietnam and the Maldives, teaching at Gremio in Brazil and a spell in charge of now-defunct Belgian top-flight side KRC Harelbeke. He is already in his fifth year in Myanmar. “There have been plenty of positive changes and football is booming,” he said with pride.
Issouf Sanogo / AFP, VI / imago, Enrique Marcarian / Reuters, Julian Finney / Getty Images, AFP
“A huge amount of hype” Results were of secondary importance for the country’s travelling supporters at the U-20 World Cup. Among the crowd that gathered for Myanmar’s 5-1 defeat by hosts New Zealand were a 250-strong group of refugees. They were able to make the journey thanks to the efforts of regional New Zealand sports foundation Sports Tasman, who not only organised tickets but also arranged the return journey from Nelson and Porirua. The refugees’ visit created a fantastic atmosphere and stirred the enthusiasm of the other spectators at Wellington’s Regional Stadium. “We had no idea that so many people from Myanmar live in New Zealand,” said the team’s delighted captain Nanda Kyaw. “We only expected a few fans, but there were just so many. We want to give a big thank-you to everyone who cheered us on – it made us stronger and bolder.” The supporters’ joy was evident well before kick-off, with the tumult reaching its peak when their heroes took an unexpected first-half lead. Although it was ultimately the Junior All Whites who had reason to celebrate after progressing to the last 16, this did nothing to spoil the occasion for the fans from Myanmar. “It’s crazy to see how many messages we get every day,” said Zeise. “There’s been a huge amount of hype around the team online and on social media in particular.” His skipper added: “We’ll never forget this experience; it will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”
SEYDOU KEITA (MLI) 1999 – NIGERIA Mali surprisingly reached the semi-finals and ended up finishing third. Keita enthralled fans with his dribbling ability and was crowned as the tournament’s best player.
ARJEN ROBBEN (NED) 2001 – ARGENTINA Coach Louis van Gaal has had a big influence on Robben’s career. He included the pacey attacker in the Dutch U-20 World Cup squad 14 years ago and later signed him at Bayern Munich.
Vociferous support Myanmar’s fans cheer on their team.
Preparing for a bright future Their electrifying experience in New Zealand surely means that nothing can now stand between Myanmar and a promising footballing future. FIFA has also laid a foundation for success when it comes the nation’s sporting infrastructure. Five Goal projects in the last 11 years have enabled the construction of a new headquarters for the country’s football association, a football academy and several training pitches as well as the complete renovation of the national stadium in the capital Yangon. Most importantly, though, these efforts have significantly enhanced the potential of Myanmar’s aspiring young footballers, as coach Zeise confirmed: “We’re a unit and all of the players are working extremely hard to achieve something.” sst/tfw
LIONEL MESSI (ARG) 2005 – NETHERLANDS Messi scored both of his side’s goals from the penalty spot in the final against Nigeria, finished as top scorer and was named player of the tournament.
PAUL POGBA (FRA) 2013 – TURKEY Pogba lifted the most coveted trophy in youth football as captain after France beat Uruguay 4-1 on penalties in the final. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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him: “Wonderkid Gedion Zelalem has the world at his feet”, while his youth coach Matt Pilkington said: “He dribbles like Iniesta and passes like Xavi.” Fans in New Zealand will have no trouble remembering one particular effort of his when, without breaking stride, he struck a volley that flew just wide of the tournament hosts’ goal. USA’s participation at the finals ended in the last eight with defeat to Serbia. “I think we’ve done well, but we also want to reach higher,” said Zelalem. “We want to be reaching finals and winning tournaments. Being here has given me a taste for playing in these kinds of events. I think there’s a few guys in this squad, myself included, who could be in the senior squad for the next World Cup. You look at the likes of [Lionel] Messi playing in this tournament back in 2005 and you know the history it has. He won it with Argentina, and I wanted to do the same.” In November the senior USA side will begin their quest to secure one of the three CONCACAF berths at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. USA’s German coach Jurgen Klinsmann is already well aware of Zelalem’s ability: “He’s a special player and is already at a level where he could play in the senior team.” The future, it seems, bodes well for the young German-American.
Stunning free-kick Serbia’s Andrija Zivkovic has also made a name for himself on the international stage. The 18-year-old midfielder is the youngest player ever to have worn the captain’s armband at Partizan Belgrade, and was also the first Serbian to be capped at senior level at the age of 17. “I’m not going to stop here,” Zivkovic said. “I’m going to carry on achieving things and performing as well as I can.” He has been true to his word in New Zealand, catching the eye in Serbia’s final group game against Mexico with a stunning 25-yard freekick just before half-time to put his side 2-0 up. That strike killed the game off and paved the way for Serbia to reach the Round of 16. “I’m so happy about the goal,” he said. “When I was getting ready to take it, I could see that their wall was good but that the keeper wasn’t quite in the right position. I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Achievements like that are always something special. You can’t really compare things that happen at club level with international football because the feelings aren’t the same. In terms of representing my country, though, this is without doubt the highlight of my career.” For Brazil’s U-20 captain Danilo, football is far more than just a sport; the media attention it attracts gives him hope of one day being
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Match-winner After lifting the league title with Partizan Belgrade, Andrija Zivkovic wants to win the U-20 World Cup too. 10
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Robert Cianflone / FIFA via Getty Images
Date of birth 11 July 1996 Birthplace Nis, Serbia Height 1.70 m Position Midfielder Current club Partizan Belgrade National team Serbia U-20
U -20 WORLD CUP
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DANILO
Date of birth 28 February 1996 Birthplace Simoes Filho, Brazil Height 1.82 m Position Midfielder Current club Braga National team Brazil U-20
Natural leader Seleção captain Danilo shoulders responsibility both on and off the pitch.
“It is without doubt the highlight of my career.”
Alex Grimm / FIFA via Getty Images
Andrija Zivkovic reunited with his father, who left the family home when Danilo was eight. “I was very small when my parents separated but I remember that day very clearly,” he said. “Life goes on, even if you always have that sense of longing.” Danilo left his homeland and moved to Portuguese side Sporting Braga at the start of the 2014/15 campaign. He now divides his time between his club and Brazil’s national youth teams, having made his international debut with the U-15s and accrued the experience that earned him the skipper’s armband at New Zealand 2015. “He’s spent a lot of time in Brazil’s youth teams,” said Brazil U-20 coach Rogerio Micale. “He’s also a natural leader on the pitch and off it, which is what I look for in a captain.” Danilo and his team-mates did not have things all their own way in the knockout rounds. In the last 16, Uruguay put up a fight right until the end and the tie was only decided on penalties after the
match ended goalless. After Uruguay missed a spot-kick, Danilo converted his immediately afterwards, and did so again in the quarter-finals against Portugal, which likewise went to penalties. Brandt eyeing Russia 2018 Germany had their sights set on glory in New Zealand, with a place in the semi-finals their minimum target. They came up short, however, after losing to Mali 4-3 on penalties in the last eight after the game ended 1-1. The game started promisingly for the Europeans and Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt fired them ahead in the 38th minute. Souleymane Coulibaly equalised after the break and in extra-time the highly fancied Germans were unable to find the target again. Last August Brandt won the U-19 European Championship and he has already made 37 Bundesliga appearances for Leverkusen, so has a wealth of experience despite his young age. “I came to New Zealand to play my part,” said the modest youngster. “I also do a fair bit of talking on the pitch, but I don’t see myself as a leading figure in the side.” Germany were hugely impressive in the group stage, where they scored a record-breaking 16 of their 18 tournament goals, and took that form into their last 16 encounter against Nigeria. Furthermore, they were well-drilled both in defence and attack, performed as a unit and enraptured fans with the kind of versatility that has become the T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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“Obviously I’m aware that in 2018 I’ll be at a good age to be getting involved in the World Cup.” Julian Brandt
trademark of Germany’s national teams ever since last year’s World Cup. “I’m very proud of my team, who played very well in this tournament,” said coach Frank Wormuth. “We can go home with our heads held high.” Brandt is eager to take the next step forward in his career, although he is determined not to rush things: “Obviously I’m aware that there’s a World Cup in 2018. I also know that I’ll be 22 by then and that’ll be a good age to be getting involved. But we’ve got so many good players in Germany at the moment and Marco Reus and Mario Gotze aren’t even among the oldest of them, so it’ll be difficult to break into that squad.”
CHRISTCHURCH – A SPECIAL CITY For many years, Christchurch was famous for its peaceful, idyllic, uniquely laid-back atmosphere and clear sense of identity. Its English-inspired architecture and diverse recreational opportunities helped make the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island a special place indeed. That was then. The metropolis in the Canterbury region is still as striking and exceptional as ever, but since being struck by devastating earthquakes it is now undeniably different. Everything changed in a matter of moments at 12.51pm on 22 February 2011. The earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit the city during its lunch hour, inflicting near-total destruction. Tragically, some 185 people lost their lives and many thousands more were injured. Although reminders of this terrible natural catastrophe are still evident almost everywhere you look in this city of 350,000 people, the impressive and captivating sense of optimism that has long infused its streets makes it impossible not to love Christchurch. After much effort and at great expense, a more modern, colourful and creative downtown area has been created. Over the past few weeks the local population have been streaming into the recently-completed stadium to be part of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, clearly proud to be welcoming the world to their city. The message is “Christchurch is back”, but the truth is that it never went away – and now its people are more enthusiastic than ever before. “When a city that has a reputation for being an excellent host loses its heart through a disaster – as our earthquakes have done – it doesn’t mean we lose our spirit,” said mayor Lianne Dalziel.
Andreas Alf
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Nimble-footed Julian Brandt has a keen eye for goal to go with his electric pace. 12
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Martin Hunter / Getty Images
Date of birth 2 May 1996 Birthplace Bremen, Germany Height 1.85 m Position Midfielder Current club Bayer Leverkusen National team Germany U-20
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ADAMA TRAORE Date of birth 28 June 1995 Birthplace Bamako, Mali Height 1.78 m Position Midfielder Current club Lille National team Mali U-20
Multi-talented Be it as a No8 or as a No10, Adama Traore can play in different positions.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos / FIFA via Getty Images
FIFA U-20 World Cup 30 May – 20 June 2015 “I do what’s asked of me” Mali showed great quality throughout the competition, delighting fans with their courage, fluid short passing game and fantastic goals. Yet as impressive as the team performances were, one individual in particular stood out for the west Africans: Adama Traore. The midfielder made his Ligue 1 debut for Lille in March 2015 and became such an important player for the side that the club refused to release him for U-20 World Cup qualifying. Given that backdrop, Traore was therefore all the happier when given permission to play in New Zealand, and he even scored in Mali’s first game. “It was really emotional for me when we finally scored," a beaming Traore said afterwards. "We went over to the corner flag and danced to celebrate. We had heard a drum in the stands during the match, so that was our background beat. Sometimes I play as a No8 and other times I have to play as a No10, but I don’t attach much importance to it. What matters most is to do what’s asked of me, irrespective of the part of the pitch I find myself in.” Å
KNOCKOUT S TAGE Quarter-finals Match 45 Match 46 Match 47 Match 48
· 14. June Brazil Mali USA Uzbekistan
Portugal Germany Serbia Senegal
0:0 (3:1) wop 1:1 (4:3) wop 0:0 (5:6) wop 0:1
Semi-finals · 17. June Brazil Match 49 Match 50 Serbia
Senegal Mali
5:0 2:1 aet
3rd Place Play-off · 20. June Senegal Match 51
Mali
Finale · 20. June Brazil Match 52
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Denmark: Superliga
The sta r t of s o m e t h i n g g r e at Roland Zorn is a Frankfurt-based football correspondent.
“The table lies!” Rasmus Ankersen, the 32-year-old chairman of FC Midtjylland, has repeated this astonishing utterance time and again. It is just his way of saying that the league table is indicative of all the good and bad luck that has always helped make football such a fascinating sport. The innovative Dane, author of the best-selling “Gold Mine Effect” about how to find and foster real sporting talent, has always contended that “we’re good when our analyses tell us that we’re good.” At the end of this Danish Superliga season, Ankersen and his data gatherers and analysts were finally proved correct. And so was the league table, which showed the small club from Jutland, formed in 1999 from a merger between Herning Fremad and Ikast FS, four points ahead of record title holders
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FC Copenhagen and sixteen points clear of Brondby IF, the capital’s other major club. FC Midtjylland have succeeded Aalborg BK as first-time Danish champions. How could this have come about? There’s no doubt that the innovative approach of men such as Ankersen, head coach Glen Riddersholm and British majority shareholder Matthew Benham, who pursues a similar strategy in his role as owner of English second-division outfit Brentford, has played a significant part in this success. It has been well worth poring over all the big data, and analysing algorithms and probability calculations with mathematical precision to get to the bottom of what makes Midtjylland tick. But the Danish tacticians refuse to admit that their concept has been overly cerebral. Ankersen has not succeeded with FC Midtjylland by dint of meticulous scientific research alone. He was formerly youth-team coach at the club, in which capacity he established Scandinavia’s first major junior academy some ten years ago. The Midtjylland chairman is still extremely proud of the fact that “half of our professionals are home-grown.” These include Pione Sisto, a 20-year-old midfielder who is the newly crowned champions’ most sought-after talent.
Midtjylland’s scouting policy also demonstrates that the club’s success is down to much more than a successful laboratory experiment by a few football enthusiasts who believe in the power of numbers. The scouts set out to discover and develop previously underrated players, such as the Finn Tim Sparv, purchased last summer from German second-tier side Greuther Fürth to marshal the Danes’ defensive midfield. It is this determination to become acquainted with the niches of the international market that has brought Midtjylland to the pinnacle of national league success. “We believe that meticulous data analysis can give us a competitive edge,” says Ankersen. The new Danish champions won the national title with four matchdays to spare thanks to a goalless draw against relegated FC Vestsjaelland. They now hope to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. As Ankersen insists: “We’re working on achieving something great, and our task has only just begun.” Å
FC Midtjylland The club recently won their first ever league title. 14
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Rebound Kaka celebrates his goal for Orlando.
USA: Major League Soccer
O r l a n d o b e at t h e h e at to ove r c o m e D C Un ite d Alan Schweingruber is a staff
Nigel Worrall / Corbis / Dukas
writer on The FIFA Weekly.
It really can get hot in Florida. In June and July, temperatures reach an annual high and by the evening of June 14 last, everyone in the sunshine state was sweltering. Even at 7pm the thermometer was reading over 90 degrees Fahrenheit – nearly 33 degrees Celsius – yet despite the heat the battle for top spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference still had be contested. Orlando City and their Brazilian superstar Kaka were hosting capital city table toppers D.C. United and the encounter promised plenty. To counter the climatic conditions,
two official drinks breaks were scheduled for the first time in MLS history. The heat hit the players as expected, with all of the shots on goal coming from distance. The game in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl was just the latest reminder why Washington-born Bill Hamid was voted best MLS goalkeeper last season. The 24-year-old remains behind Tim Howard in the national team’s pecking order, but he was the standout performer again on the day, making a number of spectacular saves. These included keeping out Kaka’s spot kick and it was only when the former Real Madrid star followed up with a header that Hamid was finally beaten.
meanwhile. For example, are Seattle Sounders finally in a position to win their first league title? Or will L.A. Galaxy defend their crown? Top-of-the-table Seattle sealed a comfortable 3-0 win against Dallas, while Galaxy could only manage a 1-1 draw in Ohio against Columbus Crew. Despite having played two games more than their rivals, Bruce Arena’s team are only in sixth, which might explain why they want to sign Ronaldinho. In terms of weather, there are certainly worse locations than California and the 35-year-old will certainly take the sunshine into consideration. Incidentally, 34-year-old Irish striker Robbie Keane has extended his contract at the club. Å
Kaka’s rebound strike proved to be the match winner. The goal lifted Orlando City into third and after New England Revolution – one of the original members of the MLS – beat Chicago Fire 2-0, D.C. United’s lead at the top was cut to four points. There are a number of questions still to be answered in the Western Conference, T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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C AN ADA 2015
I learned from my older brother Maren Mjelde fired home a magnificent free-kick in the group match against Germany. She credits her brother Erik with teaching her how to hit a dead ball back home in Norway.
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elivering a good free-kick is one of football’s greatest skills, mastered perfectly only by a select few – and those who can count themselves among this elite are remembered by fans forever. Most can easily call to mind David Beckham’s talent in this area or Roberto Carlos’s legendary 1997 strike against France, which moved away from goal before swerving drastically back inside the post. Since last Thursday, Norway’s Maren Mjelde can also consider herself part of this exclusive club. The 25-year-old produced a masterpiece in the group match against Germany at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. The ball was in a central-left position just outside the penalty area, but between Mjelde and the goal stood a seven-woman wall and former FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Nadine Angerer. The Norwegian took a simple three-step run-up and lifted an ingenious shot under the crossbar and into the net, with the Germany goalkeeper powerless to do anything other than watch the ball go by. Her magnificent strike levelled the scores for the Scandinavians at 1-1 in the 61st minute, and by the time the final whistle blew with the score unchanged, Google searches for the Norwegian’s name were already yielding countless videos under titles such as “Mjelde’s stunning free-kick against Germany”. Understandably, the goalscorer herself was absolutely thrilled and almost speechless at what she had done. “I had some images of it in my head, but I can’t remember it completely,” she explained. “I’ll definitely have to watch a couple of videos of it, but I know it was really powerful.” Impressing her opponents The clearest sign that players have achieved something exceptional on a football pitch is when their opponents praise them as highly as their team-mates. “She struck it very well. I couldn’t do anything about it, so it didn’t make sense to
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move; it would have been a waste of energy,” an impressed Angerer said after the match. “That was a once-in-a-season free-kick,” added Germany striker Alexandra Popp. Mjelde attributes her goal to hours of hard graft rather than luck. “I work on free-kicks a lot,” the defender explained. “I’ve taken plenty of them in the last few months and practise all the time – and now it’s paid off.” She cites her older brother Erik, who plays for top-flight Norwegian side Sandefjord, as another factor in her success.
THE END OF THE GROUP STAGE The group stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ is now complete and the 16 teams progressing to the knockout rounds have been confirmed. This means that eight sides have now been eliminated from the tournament. Eight nations qualified for the finals for the first time this year, so the question is: are these the teams now heading home? The answer is no. Three of the debutants – Came roon, the Netherlands and Swit zerland – have suc ceeded in making it to the nex t phase. This is a significant number, demonstrating that the decision to expand the field of World Cup par ticipants from 16 to 24 sides this time was the correc t one when it comes to the standard of play. The schedule for the rest of the competition can be found on page 19. mpe
C AN ADA 2015
Andre Ringuette / Getty Images, Carl Sandin / imago
A stunning free-kick Maren Mjelde (front) curls the ball over the German wall and into the top corner of the goal.
Through to the last 16 Sweden, with Therese Sjogran (left), and Alanna Kennedy’s Australia have both qualified for the knockout stages.
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C AN ADA 2015
“She struck it very well. I couldn’t do anything about it, so it didn’t make sense to move; it would have been a waste of energy.” Nadine Angerer on Maren Mjelde’s free-kick
Her sibling has a powerful left foot and extensive experience in scoring directly from free-kicks. “I’ve learned quite a bit from him,” she explained, before adding with a smile: “I think he’ll have left some messages on my phone.” Those messages will have been more positive than after Norway’s first game against Thailand, when Mjelde’s spot-kick was saved by the goalkeeper.
the chance.” Her miss against the Asian side was less critical as Norway already held a clear lead helped by another goal from a direct free-kick, this time by captain Trine Ronning, who was forced to watch from the bench against Germany after sustaining an injury in the first match. So with all these dead-ball specialists in the team, who does Mjelde believe is the best? “We’ve got a few players who can take good free-kicks. Trine is really powerful but above all she’s consistent and has scored plenty of goals.” Å
Focused from the outset “That penalty really annoyed me,” she said. “It was such a poor shot, so I promised myself that I’d score today if I got
Marius Achatz
Standings after the group stage Group D USA Australia Sweden Nigeria
3/7 3/4 3/3 3/1
4 : 4 : 4 : 3 :
1 4 4 6
3/7 15 : 1 3/7 8 : 2 3/3 3 : 10 3/0 3 : 16
Group E Brazil Korea Republic Costa Rica Spain
3/9 3/4 3/2 3/1
4 : 4 : 3 : 2 :
0 5 4 4
3/9 4 : 1 3/6 9 : 3 3/3 11 : 4 3/0 1 : 17
Group F France England Colombia Mexico
3/6 3/6 3/4 3/1
6 : 4 : 4 : 2 :
2 3 3 8
Group A Canada China PR Netherlands New Zealand
3/5 3/4 3/4 3/2
Group B Germany Norway Thailand Côte d’Ivoire Group C Japan Cameroon Switzerland Ecuador
2 : 3 : 2 : 2 :
1 3 2 3
For all the latest news from the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, visit http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup
Round of 16 · 20 – 23 June Match 37 China PR Match 38 USA Match 39 Germany Match 40 France Match 41 Brazil Match 42 Japan Match 43 Norway Match 44 Canada
Cameroon Colombia Sweden Korea Republic Australia Netherlands England Switzerland
Quarter-finals · 26 / 27 June Match 45 Winner Match 37 Match 46 Winner Match 39 Match 47 Winner Match 41 Match 48 Winner Match 43
Winner Match 38 Winner Match 40 Winner Match 42 Winner Match 44
Semi-finals · 30 June / 1 July Match 49 Winner Match 45 Match 50 Winner Match 47
Winner Match 46 Winner Match 48
Match for third place · 4 July Match 51 Loser Match 49
Loser Match 50
Final · 5 July Match 52
Winner Match 50
Winner Match 49
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AFP
First Love Place: Koh Panyee, Thailand Date: 1 Oktober 2014 T i m e : 9. 2 9 a . m . Photog rapher: Christophe Archambault
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Developing football everywhere and for all
Organising inspiring tournaments
Caring about society and the environment
For the Game. For the World. FIFA is committed to developing football for the benefit of all. Our mission is to: Develop the game FIFA’s primary objective is to develop the game of football in our 209 member associations. The FIFA World Cup™ gives us the resources we need to invest USD 550,000 per day in football development across the globe. Touch the world FIFA’s aim is to touch the world through its international football competitions and events, uniting and inspiring people everywhere.
FIFA.com
Build a better future Football is much more than just a game. Its universal appeal gives it a unique power and reach which must be managed carefully. FIFA believes it has a duty to society that goes beyond football.
PREVENTION
PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
FIFA educates young All White hopefuls
More democracy FIFA 11+ Participants at the event at Wellington College.
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ew Zealand Football and the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) hosted a combined FIFA 11+ event at Wellington College. Attending the event were representatives of both organisations, as well as FIFA, the FIFA U-20 World Cup LOC and players from Wellington College and Rongotai College. The event aimed to get New Zealand’s rising stars to think about preventing injuries and the impact injuries can have on their future. FIFA 11+ is an injury prevention programme designed by world football’s governing body that centres around a warm-up which reduces the risk of injury in football. With football growing in popularity in New Zealand, it is even more important to introduce a programme that is proven to reduce the risk of serious injury by 50 per cent and all injury by 30 per cent. ACC statistics show that in 2014 there were almost 43,000 claims for football related injuries. Sid Miller, Chief Customer Officer at ACC, said: “If we can reduce that number by 30 per cent, that’s around 13,000 people who won’t have their season interrupted. It’s a huge opportunity with programmes like this to really make a difference. To make a difference, not just now, but for the future. Taking care of yourself now has huge benefits. “It’s really important for us to support programmes like this and help it grow.” Dr. Mark Fulcher, Medical Director at NZ Football, used anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries as an example of how FIFA 11+ can help prevent serious injuries. “If you tear your ACL it never heals completely again. Most people who play football at a high level who injure their ACL have an operation that takes them out of the game. It is the most common season-ending injury in the United States. There is the perception sometimes that injury is a part of sport. It doesn’t have to be. Injuries will always be there, but we can reduce the risk.” Professor Jiri Dvorak, FIFA Chief Medical Officer, says the human suffering is huge. “On a global stage or scale with 300m football players it’s not small, it’s very big. We have to continue and enhance this collaboration in future. Our duty is to look after the health of you [the players] and allow you to play even at an older age. We have to keep football safe.” Å tfw
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he future of FIFA has begun. At the extraordinary Executive Committee meeting on 20 July 2015, the wheels will be set in motion for an extraordinary elective Congress, at which decisions on extensive changes to the FIFA structure will also be made. The key is to strengthen democracy within the ‘FIFA government’. The confederations must be proportionally represented according to the number of member associations they have. The fact that CAF, the African confederation boasting 54 members and the AFC, the Asian confederation with 46 members, only have five and four delegates respectively in the 25-person FIFA Executive is contradictory to this notion of democracy. At the same time we must also ensure that women are appropriately represented in the ExCo. World football’s governing body is not a “men-only club”. Approximately 50 per cent of the 450 employees at the Home of FIFA are women. However, I am reluctant to take places away from anyone; there should not be a redistribution of seats on the Executive Committee but a commensurate expansion of this body. Confederations must at the same time acknowledge their responsibility in matters of ethics. Only the Asian confederation has an Ethics Committee like the one introduced by FIFA. All other continental bodies are lacking in this regard. Nonetheless, our new Executive Committee member, Wolfgang Niersbach from Germany, has put forward a motion I support. The President of the German Football Association has proposed an independent integrity check for all members of the most important FIFA Committees. In doing so, Niersbach has broached a subject that has so far been blocked by UEFA of all associations. Better late than never. The message he has thereby sent out must apply to everyone: only together can we continue to drive the process of reform forward. That is something I will stand for until my final day in office.
Best wishes, Sepp Blatter T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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ABEDI PELE
Name Abedi Ayew “Pele” Date and place of birth 5 November 1964, Oko, Ghana Position Midfielder, striker FC Zurich Marseille Lille Lyon Torino 1860 Munich Ghana national team 73 caps, 33 goals Honours and awards African Cup of Nations 1982 UEFA Champions League 1993 French Championship 1991 and 1992 African Footballer of the Year 1991, 1992 and 1993
An abundance of talent Abedi Pele poses with sons Jordan (left) and Andre.
Christphe Calais / Presse Sports
Major clubs played for
ABEDI PELE
“Nobody can explain where our talent comes from” Abedi Ayew “Pele” was once a gifted attacking midfielder for Olympique Marseille and Ghana – and now his three sons have forged successful professional careers of their own. Massimo Franchi sat down with the three-time African Footballer of the Year (1991, 1992 and 1993) to discuss family, talent and his first meeting with the ‘real’ Pele.
Abedi Pele, what do you make of the fact that all of your sons have become professional footballers? Abedi Pele: I really do think it’s a miracle. I was the kids’ first coach and motivated and inspired each of them. Although I showed them some tips and tricks, that’s not enough in itself to actually become professionals – at least not at a high level.
Are your sons alike? No, they’re all very different from one another. Jordan is the youngest at 23. He’s a full-blooded striker, a proper centre forward. He’s technically adept and can really make good use of his strengths. He scored 12 goals for Lorient in France’s Ligue 1 this season. Andre (nicknamed ‘Dede’ – editor’s note), my second eldest son, is 25 years old. He’s most similar to me. He’s an artist with the ball. It’s no accident that he wears the same No.10 shirt that I did at Marseille, where he scored ten times in the most recent campaign. His style is similar to mine and he plays predominantly on his left foot, but in addition to his technical abilities he also has a tremendous amount of mental strength. Andre is a tough competitor and can run for 120 minutes if he has to, just like a long-distance runner.
There’s still a defender missing from your ranks... That’s right. Abdul Rahim is the oldest. He’s 27 years old now and the one of the three most suited to a defensive role. He’s particularly good at tackling – that’s one of his specialties. Two years ago he returned to
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ABEDI PELE
I’ve always considered Diego Maradona to be the greatest player of all time.
Dede signed a four-year contract with Swansea City last week. What tipped the balance in the Welsh side’s favour? Roma, Inter Milan, Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle had all expressed an interest. His contract had expired so he decided to leave France, the country where he was born when I was playing in Lille, to go and have an experience abroad. We evaluated all the offers and he chose what he considered best from a professional perspective. Taking part in the next Champions League has never been a prerequisite for him; what matters is the project. He always loved the Premier
In front of the family home Father Abedi Pele with Andre (centre) and Jordan. 26
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League and all his fellow Ghanaian internationals who have played there have raved about it – Asamoah Gyan, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari... He was ultimately swayed by French-Senegalese forward Bafetimbi Gomis, his former Lyon and now new Swansea strike partner, who praised the Swans’ way of life, virtues and achievements. It wasn’t easy, however, to leave Olympique Marseille, where he arrived at the youth academy as a 15-year-old. After the last match against Bastia at the Stade Velodrome he couldn’t hold back the tears in front of their fans.
Yes, Kwame was the perfect striker: quick, two-footed, tough and incredibly efficient in the box. He created goals wherever he played, from Saudi Arabia, Italy and Portugal to Turkey and China.
You come from a footballing family, as your younger brother Kwame Ayew also enjoyed an excellent professional career. What was he like as a player?
What was the best moment of your career – and which was the worst?
It seems we have your father to thank for this remarkable footballing dynasty. Yes, Papa Ayew – although he never played football himself! The talent that arrived in our family came about like some kind of miracle. Nobody can really explain it. Unfortunately my father only lived to see Abdul Rahim born, as he passed away in 1989.
The best was winning the Champions League with Marseille in 1993. I delivered
Christphe Calais / Presse Sports
Ghana to play for the country’s most successful side, Asante Kotoko, after gaining valuable experience in Europe with top-flight Belgian team Lierse.
ABEDI PELE
the corner from which Basile Boli scored the winning header against AC Milan. Before that we lost the 1991 European Cup final to Red Star Belgrade after a penalty shoot-out, while the following year Ghana were beaten by Côte d’Ivoire in the African Cup of Nations final – also on penalties. Although that was tough, you’ve always got to try and think positively in life and put negative things behind you as quickly as possible.
When did you first meet your ‘namesake’ Pele? In December 1991 in New York for the qualifying group draw for the 1994 World Cup in the USA. We were at Madison Square Garden in the middle of Manhattan. Pele said he knew about my name and even wanted to have his photo taken with me. A short while later we met again at the Home of FIFA in Zurich. I have the utmost respect for him.
Was he the greatest player of all time? To be completely honest, I’ve always considered Diego Maradona to be the greatest as we were part of the same generation and I watched him play in person. But when you listen to older fans who saw the Brazilian play, you suddenly become less sure about your own opinion. I think perhaps Pele was just as great.
As a teenager at the start of your career, you played a season with FC Zurich in Switzerland. What are your memories of that adventure?
I was given the opportunity to make a name for myself, but it wasn’t very easy for me at all. I arrived during the winter break from Qatar, where I’d been playing for Al Sadd, for what was my first spell in Europe. At that time of year in Zurich there was a lot of snow, it was cold and everyone spoke German, a language that was completely alien to me. New Zealander Wynton Rufer was one of the team’s stars at that time. He helped me to settle in a great deal and we became good friends. He also had a great career, and now he’s Papua New Guinea’s head coach.
Have you ever considered becoming president of the Ghana Football Association? No, not yet, but if the opportunity should arise one day then why not? You should never say never when it comes to things like that, particularly if people want you to do it.
Why has no African team yet managed to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup? Our football is much closer to that of Europe or South America than it was 50 years ago, not least thanks to the Goal programme introduced by President Blatter. And don’t forget that Ghana already had one foot in the semi-final when Suarez saved the ball on the line with his hand in the 120th minute of the match against Uruguay in 2010. The referee awarded a penalty but unfortunately Gyan hit the bar, otherwise the game would have ended with a win for Ghana. At times the margins are very small. Å
Name Jordan Pierre Ayew Date and place of birth 11 September 1991, Marseille, France Position Striker Clubs played for 2009–2014 Marseille 2014 Sochaux (loan) since 2014 Lorient Ghana national team 26 caps, 6 goals Name Andre Morgan Rami Ayew
Alex Livesey / FIFA via Getty Images (2)
Date and place of birth
Zurich was my first club in Europe; it wasn’t easy for me. There was snow everywhere and it was cold.
17 December 1989, Seclin, France Position Striker Clubs played for 2007–2015 Marseille 2008–2009 Lorient (loan) 2009–2010 Arles (loan) since 2015 Swansea City Ghana national team 63 caps, 11 goals T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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FREE KICK
SPOTLIGHT ON
GENER AL INFORMATION Country: Guam FIFA Trigramme: GUM Continent: Asia Capital: Agana
The finals Perikles Monioudis
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
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strong attack wins you games, but a strong defence wins you titles. Isn’t that how the saying goes? Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, who recently guided Chelsea to the English Premier League title, swears by this philosophy, as does the legendary Giovanni Trapattoni, whose tactical methods were conceived during the “Catenaccio” era. In actual fact, Mourinho’s controlled defensive approach couldn’t be more different to the slow, suffocating style of the Catenaccio system. Other coaches, meanwhile, prefer to stick to their attacking principles for the duration of an entire season. They do so regardless of whether or not they were goal-getters themselves during their playing days – although the likes of Jürgen Klinsmann and Kevin Keegan seem to prove that former forwards never lose their offensive flair. Of course, league championships and tournaments are governed by entirely different laws. At major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup™ finals, a confident coach will expect his team to take part in more than three matches, while an ambitious coach might prepare his side for seven games, including the final. Compared with a domestic league campaign, which typically comprises 38 or 34 encounters, only a handful of games are played at a tournament and thus a team is required to perform to its full potential over a comparatively short period. The squad is, however, together for rather longer in the run-
up to the event: the idea is that it should develop into a cohesive unit during the six weeks or more of preparation, training camp, travel to the host nation and ultimately the tournament itself. That is why, when selecting his World Cup squad, a coach not only considers factors such a player’s ability to perform to his full potential over a few matches, but also “softer” a ttributes such as sociability. It doesn’t matter how good a player is: if he scuppers the coach’s efforts to unite the team for weeks on end, the latter would be well advised to leave him out of the squad, otherwise the team performance may well suffer. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ and the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Z ealand 2015™ are currently capturing the imaginations of fans the world over. In both competitions, certain nations are appearing in their first ever World Cup and they have done their countries proud. However, you could tell that some of the teams were running out of steam towards the end of the group stage. Attack, defence, psychology and team chemistry – it doesn’t matter which approach you favour. As another famous saying goes, the truth is on the pitch. Å
GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 549 km² Highest point: Mount Lamlam 405 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Philippine Sea, Pacific Ocean
MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 174th World Cup: no appearances
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 86th World Cup: no Appearances
L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Guam - India 2:1 16 June 2015 Women’s: Hong Kong - Guam 3:0 18 November 2014
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INTERVIEW
Switzerland – beach soccer pioneers Few people in the world know beach soccer better than Angelo Schirinzi. Author of a handbook on the sport, the 42-year-old is also a FIFA instructor and will be Switzerland’s player-coach at this summer’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal™ from 9 to 19 July. “Portugal against Switzerland would be a great final.”
FIFA.com: Angelo, how excited are you about the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which begins on 9 July? Angelo Schirinzi: I’ve been very excited since we qualified last September. We managed to do it convincingly too. I’m also delighted that we’ve brought so many young players into the team.
What are you aiming to achieve in Portugal? To get as far as we possibly can. We’ll be going with that mindset. We reached the final of the European qualifiers, which shows that the potential is there. Our preparations have been spot on so far and we’ll get the players in perfect shape. We’ll also need to have confidence in ourselves, though. Portugal against Switzerland would be a great final. We’d beat Russia in the semis and Portugal would beat Brazil. That would be fantastic (laughs).
What are your team’s strengths? The camaraderie in the dressing room. The team spirit is fantastic and we’ve grown as a unit in the last few years. On top of all that the players have also got a great understanding of tactics.
Aside from your coaching trips, you also do a lot of travelling on behalf of FIFA. How many countries have you visited in the last few years? I couldn’t tell you. More than 50 for sure. I’ve had a lot of experiences, I can tell you.
It sounds like you need a map of the world in your office with flags showing all the places you’ve been to. (Laughs) Yes, that’s a great idea! I’ve thought about it but haven’t actually got round to it. It would be a really good birthday present.
people from different parts of the world because they all have their own views on the game. The mindset in Africa is different to Asia, for example. I was in Miami and the Caribbean not so long ago and it was fantastic. Everyone was very motivated. As a player/coach, I have a lot of things to say, and we rounded the seminar off with practical and theory units. It’s great to get to meet so many people.
How do you see the developments made by beach soccer in the last few years? When I started out in 2001 the sport was still very much in its infancy. Then along came FIFA in 2005 and they organised the World Cup, which triggered this massive boom. Beach soccer has just grown and grown since then. It’s incredible. If you look back a few years, there were just a handful of teams playing in the European qualifiers. Now there are 24. It’s the same in the Caribbean. Last year there were eight teams taking part, and this time there were 16. Next time there will be 25. That’s a lot of growth.
Where do you think improvements can still be made? The national teams have come on a lot since FIFA started getting involved, though it’s true that the national associations usually forget about the grassroots. We need to organise national leagues and work on the women’s and youth games. That’s what’s needed in my view. Switzerland is playing a pioneering role, though. We have a league that’s staged in 14 cities between May and September, as well as beach soccer camps for children, a women’s league and much more besides. We’re doing a lot, but more needs to be done on a global level.
What do beach soccer seminars involve?
What attributes do you need to be a good beach soccer player?
Before I travel with FIFA, the coaches receive their invitations and all the preparations are made. It’s interesting to work with
First and foremost you have to enjoy playing football. Footballers like playing on grass and in the street but it’s more fun on
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sand. There are more things you can do, like bicycle kicks. When you play on sand you don’t get hurt or injured when you fall. You have to be in good physical shape if you want to play professionally and you have to be able to read the game. That’s very important because it’s a faster game on sand than it is on grass. In technical terms, it’s a very demanding sport. You have to play a direct game and you need to be decisive in finishing moves off. To play on sand you really need to adapt.
Are beach soccer players just as good on grass as they are on sand, and vice versa? My view is that not every 11-a-side player can play beach soccer, but every beach soccer player would make a good footballer on grass.
What memories do you have of the 2009 Beach Soccer World Cup and Switzerland’s sensational run to the final? It was a massive surprise. We nearly didn’t make it there, and almost went out in the decisive final qualifier. We kept on training and trying to improve, though, and when we finally booked our place to the finals we felt a tremendous sense of relief. To play in the World Cup was a dream for us, and when we clinched qualification the players just burst into tears. The World Cup itself was just amazing. Nobody expected it, and to reach the final was a dream come true. Though we couldn’t beat Brazil, we went home with a medal and Dejan Stankovic walked away with two individual FIFA awards. It’s hard to put it into words. Å Angelo Schirinzi was speaking to Thanh Nguyen
Name Angelo Schirinzi Date and place of birth 5 November 1972, Basel, Switzerland Position Striker Clubs played for since 2002: Sable Dancers Bern Major honours Beach Soccer European champion 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup runner-up 2009 European Beach Soccer League 2012 Swiss champion 2013, 2014 Swiss Cup winner 2013 Switzerland national team
foto-net
Player-coach since 2001, 304 caps
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Watford, England
1938
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Watford goalkeeper Jim McLaren poses for a photo ahead of an FA Cup match.
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Stoke-on-Trent, England
2010
Getty Images / AFP
Danish shot-stopper Thomas Sorensen warms up for Stoke City.
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THE ART OF FOOTBALL
Film’s footballing heroes Ronald Düker
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“We all have the same objective. Everyone wants to win the European Championship. Whoever is named in the starting line-up will be prepared to give their all for the rest of the squad. Respect is the most important thing and we’re respecting each other, despite the competitive nature of the situation.” German international goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the competition for places at the UEFA Under-21 European Championship
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t is a rare occurrence for football to make an appearance on the big screen. Little wonder really, given that sport is usually a footnote in the film business. In any event, any exceptions to the rule are usually movies about US sports – basketball, baseball or American football. The 1981 picture ‘Escape to Victory’ (known by its title ‘Victory’ in North America), directed by revered American filmmaker John Huston, gave football its time in the Hollywood limelight. Huston succeeded in assembling a stellar ensemble cast for the project, a clutch of names that enthused film-lovers and football fans alike. Max von Sydow, Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone signed up, as did FIFA World Cup™ winners Bobby Moore and Pele. Footballers would be playing actors and actors playing footballers: such a combination had rarely been seen before. The setting was a German prisoner-of-war camp in World War Two, with much more than a simple game of football at stake. The inmates from a multitude of countries are challenged with forming a football team from among their ranks. In order to give them a change from the monotony of daily prison life, a match is arranged against a team of German soldiers. When the German leadership catch wind of the idea they duly decide to stage the game in Paris as a publicity stunt – a demonstration to the world of the supposedly friendly manner in which their imprisoned enemies are treated. The prisoners, however, sense an opportunity for freedom and contrive their own plan to
escape from their captors via a tunnel in the bowels of the stadium in which the match will be played. Members of the French Resistance provide assistance. Huston was the man who set this exciting plot in motion, but the film is not without its snippets of unintentional humour that do not leave an altogether positive impression. When actors are r equired to imitate the movements of artists – or athletes – the result is rarely flawless (as anyone who has seen Klaus Kinski playing the virtuoso violinist Niccolo Paganini will know), and Victory does betray some moments of implausibility. Sylvester Stallone, for example, handles a Kalashnikov markedly more convincingly in his other films than he does a football in this one. Huston did cast more real footballers than just Moore and Pele, however. Argentine midfielder Osvaldo Ardiles, Belgian striker Paul van Himst and Polish playmaker Kazimierz Deyna also featured. These guys could really handle a football in front of a camera, even if their acting left something to be desired. Football is and remains the most beautiful ball game in the world, regardless of the fact that in ‘Escape to Victory’, the game is literally about life and death. Yet it is the result of the match itself – after a breathtakingly exciting 90 minutes of football – that sticks in the memory as the credits begin to roll on a film that remains enduringly popular. For that, any imperfections from Huston’s squad of part-time actors can surely be forgiven. Å
“I would like to bring all my experience from Barcelona and all of the values I learned in La Masia: sacrifice, hard work, humility – I want to bring everything I was taught with me. I also want to immerse myself in this wonderful culture and, with all the humility in the world, I want to play my part with what I have learned at Barcelona.” Xavi on his new life in Qatar
“Of course I haven’t been a head coach for long, but I’m approaching this new challenge with an awful lot of self-belief.” New Schalke 04 head coach Andre Breitenreiter
“A lot of people think that we neither have the time, nor the space to play football. But you can play football all week, from eight in the evening until midnight. Men, women, children – everybody plays.” Ecuador women’s international Denise Andrea Pesantes on playing football on the Galapagos Islands T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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FIFA PARTNER
TURNING POINT
“Fate made my decision for me” As an 11-year-old, Nadine Angerer had the choice of pursuing football or handball. She left the decision up to fortune.
Moritz Schmid
T
here have been lots of special moments in my career. Like when I was named 2013 FIFA World Player of the Year. Or the European Championship final in the same year, when I saved two penalties as we won 1-0. Or at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China, when we became world champions without conceding a goal. It actually has more to do with luck that I ended up between the posts. I’d previously been a striker – and I was even top scorer once – but a day came when I filled in as goalkeeper because we had some injuries in the team. Even though I preferred scoring goals to saving them, that one-off became a more regular thing, and at some point I never came out of goal again. But all that’s just a footnote compared to the moment – a simple, almost existential choice – that had the most decisive influence my career. I was 11 years old and I had a decision to make that would basically determine what path I took. Looking back, there’s a bit of Russian roulette to the situation, but instead of a revolver, I had two slips of folded paper. I was good at a lot of sports when I was a kid. I played football but I was also in a handball club, and, like my mother, was a good triathlete as well. Football and handball were my main sports, and in both of them I’d made it into the regional Bavarian squad – now I had to decide which one to pursue to get to the next level. I deliberated on it for weeks and weighed up the pros and cons of both, but I still couldn’t choose. Then one day I just decided to leave it
up to chance. I took two sheets of paper, wrote ‘handball’ on one and ‘football’ on the other, carefully folded them both very small and went with my mother out onto the balcony of our apartment. I took the two bits of paper in my hand, gave them a good shake, closed my eyes and dropped them on the table – and then picked one of them. Fate decided that I’d play football. I wasn’t really emotional when I unfolded the paper and saw ‘football’, since I liked both sports. With hindsight you can obviously say I made the right decision, but you can’t really judge it against anything, since I don’t know what the alternative would have been like. Perhaps I’d also have been a decent handball player – who knows. At the end of the day it’s pointless asking, ‘What if?’ I’m extremely satisfied with how my football career has turned out – it couldn’t have gone any better. I’m into my 20th year as a national team player and I still have a lot of ambitions. Like a third World Cup win in Canada this summer. Å Adapted by Rainer Hennies
Name Nadine Angerer Date and place of birth 18 November 1978, Lohr, Germany Position Goalkeeper Clubs 1995–1996 1. FC Nuremberg, Germany 1996–1999 Wacker Munich, Germany 1999–2001 Bayern Munich, Germany 2001–2007 Turbine Potsdam, Germany 2008 Djurgardens IF, Sweden 2009–2013 1. FFC Frankfurt, Germany 2013–2014 Brisbane Roar, Australia 2014 Portland Thorns, USA 2014 Brisbane Roar, Australia 2015 Portland Thorns, USA Selected honours World champion 2003, 2007; European champion 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013; Olympic bronze medallist 2000, 2008; FIFA World Player of the Year 2013; European Footballer of the Year 2013 German national team 142 caps (15 June 2015)
In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
37
MEN’S WORLD R ANKING
Germany (unchanged) France (9th, up 2) Switzerland (11th, down 2) 44 Madagascar, Namibia (6 matches each) Madagascar (up 122 points) Madagascar (up 37 ranks) Rwanda (down 128 points) Maldives (down 38 ranks)
Leader Moves into top ten Moves out of top ten Matches played in total Most matches played Biggest move by points Biggest move by ranks Biggest drop by points Biggest drop by ranks Rank Team
+/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
Rank Team
1 Germany
0 1775
55 Egypt
-4
596
109 Canada
2 Belgium
1 1509
56 Congo DR
-2
591
110 Benin
3 Argentina
-1 1496
57 Turkey
-5
590
4 Colombia
0 1435
58 Korea Republic
-1
587
5 Brazil
0 1392
59 Gabon
-4
6 Netherlands
0 1378
60 Republic of Ireland
2
7 Portugal
0 1229
61 Peru
8 Uruguay
0 1183
9 France
Last updated: 4 June 2015 +/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
6
290
162 Malaysia
4
121
-16
289
164 Hong Kong
5
118
111 Botswana
-7
285
165 Yemen
3
117
112 St Vincent and the Grenadines
-2
279
166 Bangladesh
3
116
583
113 Madagascar
37
278
167 Puerto Rico
0
114
581
114 St Kitts and Nevis
-2
275
168 Dominica
-3
112
2
546
115 Azerbaijan
1
272
169 New Caledonia
6
111
62 Bulgaria
5
537
116 Dominican Republic
2
257
170 Pakistan
3
106
2 1164
63 Australia
1
532
117 Niger
2
251
171 US Virgin Islands
3
104
10 Spain
0 1147
64 Norway
6
528
118 Palestine
23
242
172 Chad
-20
100
11 Switzerland
-2 1146
65 Jamaica
9
524
119 Zimbabwe
4
238
173 Turkmenistan
-14
99
12 Romania
0 1115
66 Burkina Faso
0
520
119 Libya
-7
238
174 Guam
2
97
13 Italy
0 1101
67 Trinidad and Tobago
-2
519
121 Syria
4
234
175 Laos
3
94
14 Costa Rica
1 1056
68 Zambia
-8
517
122 Lesotho
-1
226
176 Mauritius
9
90
15 England
-1 1051
69 South Africa
-10
515
123 Kenya
-6
220
177 Kyrgyzstan
-24
89
16 Czech Republic
2 1036
70 Montenegro
5
513
124 Moldova
-4
219
178 Maldives
-38
86
17 Slovakia
2 1012
18 Croatia
-1
71 Uganda
0
504
125 Kuwait
1
218
178 Cambodia
1
86
992
72 Venezuela
-3
497
126 Bermuda
2
217
178 Chinese Taipei
1
86
19 Chile
-3
989
73 United Arab Emirates
-5
496
127 Vietnam
-3
215
181 Montserrat
-9
74
20 Austria
5
946
74 Uzbekistan
-2
479
127 Tanzania
-20
215
182 Tahiti
3
71 70
21 Algeria
-1
941
75 Honduras
1
462
129 Thailand
13
207
183 Nepal
-2
22 Wales
-1
929
76 Haiti
3
442
129 Liechtenstein
-2
207
184 Brunei Darussalam
-2
69
23 Mexico
-1
926
77 Togo
3
438
131 Luxembourg
6
201
185 Macau
-2
66
24 Côte d’Ivoire
-1
916
78 Finland
0
410
132 Barbados
-2
196
186 Sri Lanka
2
64
25 Greece
-1
899
79 China PR
3
409
133 Kazakhstan
1
195
187 Seychelles
2
60
26 Russia
1
833
80 Belarus
3
400
134 Burundi
-12
194
188 São Tomé e Príncipe
2
58
27 USA
1
823
81 Mozambique
5
391
135 Lebanon
9
188
189 Cayman Islands
2
48
28 Scotland
2
818
82 Latvia
3
390
136 St Lucia
-5
186
190 Comoros
-5
44
29 Tunisia
2
808
83 Sierra Leone
5
387
137 Philippines
0
183
190 Solomon Islands
2
44
29 Denmark
0
808
84 Armenia
-7
383
138 New Zealand
6
180
192 San Marino
2
40
31 Ecuador
3
806
85 Paraguay
-4
382
139 Georgia
0
173
193 Turks and Caicos Islands
-10
33
32 Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
802
86 Iraq
0
381
139 Tajikistan
4
173
194 British Virgin Islands
4
29
32 Poland
3
802
87 Cyprus
9
377
141 Central African Republic
3
161
195 Fiji
1
28
34 Ghana
-8
800
88 Angola
1
374
141 India
6
161
196 Bahamas
2
26
35 Ukraine
-2
784
89 Bolivia
3
371
143 Myanmar
15
160
197 South Sudan
-4
24
36 Senegal
0
782
89 El Salvador
-5
371
144 Curaçao
4
159
198 Samoa
-2
21
37 Iceland
1
769
91 Estonia
2
370
145 Malta
4
154
199 Mongolia
1
19
38 Cape Verde Islands
-1
746
92 Morocco
-2
369
146 Timor-Leste
5
151
200 Vanuatu
-5
17
39 Sweden
0
737
93 Guatemala
40 Israel
6
725
94 Rwanda
-3
348
146 Korea DPR
10
151
200 Tonga
1
17
-21
346
148 Liberia
-16
149
202 Papua New Guinea
0
13
-20
146
203 American Samoa
0
12
5
141
204 Andorra
0
8
41 Iran
-1
717
95 Malawi
2
345
149 Mauritania
42 Hungary
1
685
96 Lithuania
4
341
150 Suriname
43 Nigeria
2
681
97 Qatar
2
334
151 Aruba
-15
138
204 Eritrea
0
8
44 Northern Ireland
-2
676
98 Saudi Arabia
-3
329
151 Afghanistan
-16
138
206 Somalia
0
6
45 Guinea
-4
673
99 Ethiopia
2
324
151 Nicaragua
3
138
207 Djibouti
0
4
45 Serbia
-1
673
100 FYR Macedonia
5
321
154 Singapore
8
136
207 Cook Islands
0
4
47 Congo
2
666
101 Oman
-4
319
155 Guinea-Bissau
-23
131
209 Anguilla
0
2
48 Slovenia
-1
653
102 Faroe Islands
0
318
155 Indonesia
4
131
49 Cameroon
-1
641
103 Jordan
0
316
155 Belize
4
131
50 Equatorial Guinea
11
635
104 Antigua and Barbuda
2
313
158 Guyana
5
129
51 Albania
6
624
105 Namibia
9
303
159 Bhutan
4
128
52 Japan
-2
623
106 Bahrain
2
299
160 Gambia
-3
124
52 Mali
4
623
107 Cuba
2
295
160 Grenada
11
124
54 Panama
-1
597
108 Sudan
3
292
162 Swaziland
14
121
38
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